


Over Time

by missema



Category: Mass Effect
Genre: F/M, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Holiday Harbinger, One Shot
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-25
Updated: 2017-01-25
Packaged: 2018-09-19 18:36:46
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,374
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9455309
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/missema/pseuds/missema
Summary: Ken and Gabby were the best of friends since they'd started in the Alliance Engineering Corps. Friends that work together, then eventually defect to Cerberus together and then get put in jail together. Eventually they even get together.Scenes from the friendship and eventual romantic relationship between Gabriella Daniels and Kenneth Donnelly. Written for the Holiday Harbinger exchange for statelywingmanor





	

Graduation Day

Graduation day brought a controlled chaos to their small facility, a place normally filled with just the future technicians and engineers of the Alliance and their instructors now held their families as well. It felt like the halls were bursting at the seams, but there probably weren't that many more people there than usual. It just felt like it to her. Gabby was glad that her grandmother was able to come, but she knew Kenneth wouldn't be taking all the togetherness well. The Donnelly clan, from what she'd heard, was large, voluble and always moving. She couldn't wait to meet them. He claimed that part of the reason he'd come to the academy was that space was one of the few places where his family wouldn't be able to visit without advance notice.

Her own family was just her grandmother and mother, and only her grandmother had been able to come for the day. She'd shown up early, met Kenneth and departed so she could get a 'good seat' for the graduation ceremony later that morning. Ken hadn't minded getting up early for the breakfast tea they'd shared, and her gran had loved Kenneth. They'd gotten along well enough that her grandmother had given him a kiss goodbye before she'd made her way to Gabby, laughing along when Ken charmed her at breakfast. She wondered if the Donnelly clan would like her. It was important -- Kenneth was her best friend. 

She heard them before she saw them, but as she understood it that was normal for them. The hallway filled with the sounds of a lot of people talking at once, all lilting accents and laughter. A baby cried and some cooing ensued, then a loud request for a bathroom from a voice too young for Gabby to make out to whom it might belong. There were a lot of young ones coming for Ken's graduation, because according to him, his family did nothing unless it was en masse.

"Is this her?" a voice asked, a head poking into her doorway. The owner was a small woman with neat russet brown hair. She had a vaguely unsettling resemblance to Kenneth, the kind where they looked alike but Gabby couldn't say exactly what features they shared. "Kenny, is this your friend?" she shouted into the hallway, followed by, "she's too pretty for you, scunner!", and a loud, boisterous laugh. Then she turned to Gabby and asked, "Are you Kenny's girlfriend?"

"I'm Gabriella Daniels," Gabby started to say but was cut off by Kenneth's shout down the hall. Perhaps it was best he'd interrupted because she wasn't sure how to answer the part about being Ken's girlfriend. They'd become fast friends during their time here, but there was nothing more than that between them.

"Amy! Your son's escaping down the hall with a purse. I can't say where he got it from."

"Oh shite, not again," Amy mumbled, and disappeared from Gabby's doorway with a bellow of "STOP HIM!". Gabby went to look down the corridor, where several harried people that resembled Kenneth were dashing about in different directions, calling after a boy named Collin.

"He'll turn up," a deep voice said from her right, and Gabby found herself standing next to a neat man with spiky black hair. "I'm Mike, Mike Su-Donnelly. I'm Kenny's brother in law. You must be Gabby."

"Nice to meet you, Mike," she said, extending her hand. He shook it, recalling that Mike was married to Kenneth's eldest brother Jack. Other than that, she couldn't really remember much about him. A loud crash came from a nearby hallway, and several other almost-graduates and their families began to look out at the group of Ken's family, expressions ranging from annoyance to concern. Mike's casual demeanor, however, betrayed no real concern and though Gabby wasn't used to the dynamics of a big family, she understood enough to go with the flow. Instead of panicking about the boy and purse, she smiled at Mike and asked about their trip.

"FOUND HIM!" Came a shout from further down an adjacent corridor, and soon all of the Donnellys were back in the hallway, with one person carrying a struggling toddler wearing a rumpled but still nice looking sailor suit and only one shoe. A man with a great head of white hair that she assumed was Kenneth's father was holding the child in two massive hands as he strode back into the crowd of his family.

"Where's his shoe?" asked Amy. "He can't go around with just one shoe on. Where did you find him? Now we've got to track down the shoe. I haven't got another."

"What kind of idiot doesn't bring another shoe for a baby?" Another sister asked, starting a flurry of comments from all the people assembled. They ranged from "shut up" to "let's just find the shoe". Kenneth looked over at her and mouthed the word "sorry" before heading back in the direction that Collin had run, this time to locate the lost shoe.

Mike turned to Gabby and laughed. "They're going to be like this until they all fall asleep sometime tonight. It's probably best if you just go on and get ready. It was nice to meet you," Mike said, and then without waiting for an answer, he strode off to help the hunt for the missing shoe.

#

The Perugia

The Citadel was under attack. Kenneth felt his palms start to sweat as that particular tension that happens before reaching an engagement gripped the crew. This wasn't their first time playing support fire -- they'd crossed paths with batarian slavers and pirates a few times in the past while on patrol. The Perugia wasn't a dreadnaught, but their ship would have to do its part. Their guns and shields needed to be kept going no matter how long this fight went on, and they had to make sure it held until either the fight ended or they did. The chief engineer started issuing orders as soon as the call came in for help, gathering them all briefly in engineering.

"Everyone, we need all hands on deck. This is the real deal, not a drill. The Alliance has to show up, be part of this assault to be players on the galactic stage. If we go down, we go down swinging. We have to show them we mean business." The engineer began to ramble, but the short automated message that played whenever the ship entered the field of a mass relay ended the impromptu speech. They dispersed without being dismissed, heading to their stations. Gabby walked at his side, tense and silent until they felt the subtle lurch of the mass relay affecting the artificial gravity.

He turned to Gabby and she nodded, trying to look resolute. "Let's get to work, Kenneth." For the briefest of moments she faltered and looked her worry, but she scrubbed the betraying expression from her face. He wanted to hug her, keep her safe from whatever was to come, but safe wasn't why they'd joined the Alliance. It was go time, but that ridiculous sweeping urge overwhelms in times of peril caught him and he pulled Gabby aside.

Before the adrenaline in his system deserted him, Kenneth dropped a kiss on her cheek. Gabby blushed prettily as he pulled away. She gave him a bewildered look, but didn't voice her question. He answered it anyway.

"Just for luck, in case we don't make it out of this alive," he said as he took another half step back from where she stood.

She gave him a slightly stunned smile that faded nearly as quickly as it had come. The battle klaxon rang out through the ship, ordering them to battle stations.

There was no more time for luck, even if they needed all they could get. 

#

Change of Command

"I'm not so sure about this, Kenneth," Gabby said, her apprehension causing her words to come out shorter and harsher than she'd intended. "The Alliance," she began, but trailed off.

"Don't appreciate us, do they? Commander Shepard led this attack, proved what humans can be, and now they spend their days discrediting her. Do ya know that there are even rumors that she's dead and the Alliance is still running their smear campaign? The Citadel was just one incident, they say."

"Commander Shepard can't be dead!" Gabby scoffed at the news, though dread filled her. Hearing Kenneth say it felt like admitting it could be true. He, of all people, had been a champion of hers, and if he believed it...she shivered. No, she wouldn't, not yet.

"Shepard can die like everyone else. But we're not dead, Gabby, and this is a once in a lifetime offer. We can be part of something, take down the enemies that the Alliance and the Council are ignoring."

She could almost hear the stars in his eyes. Kenneth had a crush on Commander Shepard, though he never quite put it that way. Hero is what he said, but he said in it that revered tone he used almost exclusively when talking about his dream ship or what he'd do with an unlimited budget and access to special forces research. 

Could she really pass up the chance to play a part? They were just engineers, there wouldn't be any shooting enemies or blowing up alien ships for them, but they could help. Cerberus said they'd get top of the line resources, things that the Alliance didn't even have out of R&D yet. Still, she'd worked her whole life to be an Alliance engineer. It was nearly impossible to think about walking away from her career, but yet, here she was entertaining the thought.

"Gabby, Gabby, please. I've barely got a career anymore," Kenneth pleaded, as if he'd read her train of thought. "They're going to shunt me aside to work on some ancient freighter doing supply runs. You know they are. And I can't be part of an Alliance that wants to forget the sacrifice of everyone at the battle of the Citadel by not heeding the warnings Commander Shepard tried to give them. I'm leaving anyway, but I can't do this without you, Gabby." He was rambling, his accent getting thicker as he spoke, emotion filling his words. She put a hand on his shoulder, felt the solid, comforting bulk of it warming her hand. Ken's eyes met hers, dark and desperate, pleading. It was unfair that such thick eyelashes were wasted on him, she thought even as she felt the last of her reservations start to give way.

"I suppose I could insist to go with you, since we are a team," she said. Her mind was racing, worried about giving up the career she'd fought so hard to begin, but Ken was right. they'd both spoken out against the Alliance and she could see the trouble on the horizon for them. Maybe it was better to go now, to take this offer.

"Yeah," Gabby said and smiled up at him. "You'd fall apart without me by your side anyway."

"Ah, well maybe not fall apart," he started to say, but Gabby shushed him.

"I know how much you need me. Better call your contact and tell them there better be room for two." Gabby walked back to her console, her hands shaking, but her heart settled. At least whatever came, she wouldn't be alone.

#

Shepard

Shepard wasn't what Ken was expecting, to be honest. She was every inch the hero, he wouldn't disrespect her by saying otherwise, but he hadn't expected her to be well, anything but heroic. She should have eaten breakfast in a hearty, heroic way -- whatever that was, walked with purpose with a gun strapped to her side at all times -- but she was just a normal soldier. His mind had built her up into something huge, a big figure that loomed so large he couldn't see her being a regular person. Shepard talked to herself as she walked around the ship, got lost on field missions so much it quickly became a shipboard joke, snorted when she laughed and quite often seemed pensive and sad as she made her rounds. 

Gabby stood with her now, the two of them talking about whatever it was they'd been talking about after the beeping console took him away ten minutes before. Shepard was nodding a lot, as if she were really listening, and Gabby wasn't bothering to use her 'explain to command' voice. That was good right? If Shepard had a little engineering in her background, maybe they wouldn't have to work so hard just to get basic supplies down here.

He already respected Shepard, but he hadn't realized he was going to like her as well. If only more heroes actually turned out to be decent people.

"I should head out, I'm late for a little target practice," Shepard said, addressing both of them and pulling his mind back to the present. 

"Is that an invitation to tag along, Commander?" Kenneth asked, fully aware that Shepard was N7 and could probably shoot him dead before he even saw her move. "Could always use more practice."

"Being the target," Gabby quipped, and Shepard grinned at her.

"I'm shooting with Garrus today, so unless either of you are sniper trained, you probably want to sit this one out."

Ken grimaced, he couldn't help it, the thought of both Shepard and Garrus made him feel sorry for whatever they were practicing on. Shooting wasn't his strong suit -- but then again neither was hand to hand combat training -- which was why he'd joined the engineering corps. Nice, safe, engineering training didn't include too many tests with assault rifles. Both Shepard and Gabby laughed at his expression. 

"I'll stop down again when I can. Pass it up the chain if you need anything sooner," Shepard said, and walked from engineering, the door shutting with a whoosh behind her.

Gabby chuckled to herself and punched him lightly in the arm. "Ow! Stop it or I'll tell Shepard you're down here abusing your poor fellow engineer."

"Oh please, she'd probably help do it if she knew what I had to put up with," Gabby said.

He was grinning to himself as he went back to work. When Ken glanced over at Gabby, he caught her smiling too as she pushed a lock of hair behind her ear. Shepard had that effect on people. Whatever Cerberus may be, he was sure that they'd like working on the Normandy.

#

Detention

He hadn't ever pictured himself in jail, but then again, the whole galaxy wasn't exactly maintaining the status quo at the moment. A few of his siblings had cooled their heels in lockup for a while, his sister Jessica had a penchant for what was politely called 'making a public disturbance' but in reality she got piss drunk and sang at the top of her lungs until they could get her to sleep it off. At least she was a friendly one, even after the booze wore off. 

God, if he ever made it back to earth, he was going to be sure to get a drink or two with Jess, just for the hell of it. If she made it through as well. His family didn't live in a city, so they hadn't been among the first wave of people attacked on earth, but that didn't mean they were safe. He'd managed a few letters and a call before they'd been cut off by the Reaper attack. He and Gabby weren't on Earth, but had been transferred to an Alliance holding on the Citadel, just in case the Council wanted to weigh in on their case. So far, they hadn't.

Even Jess hadn't managed to make it into indefinite military lockup, but then again, military service hadn't been her path. Ken sighed, the sound of it bouncing off the walls. At least he could see Gabby at mealtimes, even if they were monitored. They were considered low-risk for just about anything, but still, no one seemed in a hurry to let them go back to work either.

Cerberus had approached them again, but after serving with Shepard neither one of them wanted to sign back on. Shepard had earned their loyalty, not Cerberus and certainly not The Illusive Man. Bastard. They'd gone with Shepard when she turned herself in, though she'd given everyone to option to leave before she did. If she could face the consequences, so could he and Gabby. At least that's what they'd reasoned before they wound up in this faceless gray boredom cage and earth got attacked by Reapers.

He was just starting to really get into his daily fretting, the longest and most useless way to while away the time, yet it was the one he did the most, when a guard opened the door. It wasn't quite time for dinner, and Kenneth sat up at attention, unable to even feign nonchalance.

"Donnelly, you've been released. Spectre's orders. Get your things; you're being deployed."

"Really?" he asked, but didn't get an answer. He didn't need one because he was already up and across the room. The few things he had with him were small, trinkets that were deemed harmless and a couple of spare sets of detention clothes. He left the clothes, took the toiletries and other sundry, and his datapad of novels and schematics and a few family pictures.

"What about Gabby?" he asked, and this time he waited for a reply.

"Gabriella Daniels was also released. You're posted to the same vessel. She's waiting for you," the guard told him. 

Ken was grinning as he ran a last check around the sparse room. There was nothing else of his to take, so he took his belongings and made it to the door before the guard decided that this joke was over.

"What ship am I on?" Ken asked, but the guard shrugged.

"Come this way." They walked on, swifter than he was used to after these few months of detention. Though it ached a little, it felt good to be moving at a real pace out of the detention center, not just in a circle around the track in the courtyard.

"Where are we assigned?" he asked again, but didn't get an answer. The silence started to worry him, but not enough to put a damper on his happiness to be out of there. They were nearly to the security doors now, just a few more steps.

The guard with him saluted Ken for the first time, and he saluted back, then handed him a datapad that took his thumbprint and wished him luck. Ken watched him walk away for a second, then sucked in a big, free breath. Gabby was leaning against the wall waiting for him, a smile big enough that he almost didn't notice the huge shadows under her eyes. 

"Guess where we're going?" she asked, but didn't wait for an answer. "The Normandy."

"You think it was Shepard?" he asked, but he had no doubt.

"Come on, if you want to buy anything before the Normandy docks, now's the time," she said, and took his arm. They walked together away from the detention center he hoped to never see again, towards an elevator that would take them to the Wards. He was going to get sushi, no asari food, anything was better than the nutrient rich crap he'd been forced to eat. And if they had time, maybe he'd squeeze in a little asari appreciation at Purgatory. 

As if she could hear his thoughts, Gabby announced in an annoyed voice, "We don't have time for lap dances, Kenneth."

He laughed and though it sounded a little rusty from disuse, he was happier than he'd been a long while.

#

Shepard again

Shepard looked weary, that was the best way to describe it but with all that was happening, all that lay on her shoulders and at her feet, Gabby was surprised Shepard was still standing. Funny how the Commander had a way of always defying her expectations. Last time they'd served together, Shepard had basically just come back from the dead to save the galaxy. Gabby wondered what it would demand of her this time and a wash of pity rolled over her.

God, she'd missed this ship and her commander more than she'd ever expected. The Normandy, even with the Alliance retrofits, felt more like home than any other ship she'd ever served on. It was so good to be back, to have her rank reinstated, to be serving with Shepard again. Of course there was Kenneth -- she had been prepared to stay on the Citadel and do whatever to make sure he was released too. 

He was so cute when he was excited, and though he and Engineer Adams bumped heads, they still liked each other. She hoped Tali would come back too, it was always interesting learning engineering from the quarian. Kenneth was standing with Adams now, the two of them arguing over some technical detail as Shepard stood off to the side, waiting for an opening.

For whatever reason, Shepard caught Gabby's eye, then inclined her head at Kenneth. It was as if she was asking, "Is he yours yet?" Mischief played in the commander's eyes as a small smile sprung up on her lips. Gabby furiously shook her head. Shepard shot her a look that plainly told her to get on with it. It was a mix of exasperation and urgency, one that Shepard wore a lot these days.

Gabby shrugged, unsure of what else she could do. Shepard looked like she was about to say something, but then Adams finally called her over to their huddle. Gabby retreated, a stone in her chest. Maybe she should work up the nerve to say something to Kenneth, before it was too late. Seemed like the commander would back her up if she did.

#

Maybe

Ken felt like a teenager, sneaking looks over at Gabby. She was busy, her hair tucked behind her ear. Maybe if they survived this war, he'd thank her. Words weren't his thing, he tried to do the nice things he couldn't say, but Gabby deserved something more. 

He hadn't realized a best friend was missing from his life until she'd already been filling in the role. At the academy they'd just clicked, and it helped that she was such a good engineer. Back then it was rare to meet someone that thought like he did, that never got tired of the work. So many of the other students there burnt out on it, but not Gabby. She could talk theory as well as practical work and both were just as interesting to her.

It was Gabby that spoke up first, because it was always her that was the fearless one between the two of them. What surprised him was that Shepard backed her up. Shepard had actually said that they should be together in the middle of all this mess. Maybe it shouldn't have surprised him since Shepard had someone in her life, but it jolted him all the same. Fearless Commander Shepard, advocating throwing the regs out of the window because this may be the last shot for all of them. Why did that make him feel even more pressured? He had to get this right, this was Gabby.

He was going to stare at Gabby all day, Gabby his best friend, the most talented engineer he knew, the person he wanted to be with. It was rare that he was at a true loss for words, bullshitting was a time-honored Donnelly trait, but he was having a hard time finding anything to say. So he just watched her and finally caught her attention.

"Kenneth," she began, but he cut her off with a kiss. Hey, if his words wouldn't work, he had to start somewhere.

#

Earth

Major Coats was overseeing the rebuilding of London, but Gabby made sure that she and Ken were never out of the loop. Maybe it was because of Shepard and her way of including them on the ship, in memos and emails and just stopping by to check in, but Gabby couldn't stand it any other way now.

There was a lot of work to do, so much that it seemed like it might never get done. Maybe it wouldn't, not in her lifetime.

"Are you ready, Gabby?" Ken asked, and reached down and took her hand. He brought it to his face and kissed it, making her smile.

"Chivalrous kisses and it's only morning," she commented.

"The way they've been working us, I've been too tired for kisses of any kind at night. Shame of that, really, because we both know I do my best work in the dark."

Gabby had to laugh at that, though she was inclined to agree. Affirming that Ken did do quite impressive work in the dark might make them late for work, and Major Coats was counting on them, so she opted for teasing instead. 

"That's why you have to get into the conduits and reconnect all the power systems today, Mr. I Do My Best Work In The Dark. Dark enough for you in those crawl spaces?" She laughed and Ken couldn't hold in a smile, not at too rare sound of her laughter. No one laughed much these days, but at least they had hope.

He grumbled and released her hand. She was surprised when he pulled her into a hug, but Kenneth was all affection these days. The state of things was wearing on him, as it was for all of the survivors, but she knew him too well to think that he would rather sit on the sidelines. However much work there was to do, he'd do his part and then some, because that's who he was.

She rubbed his back as they hugged, trying to use her palms to ease some of the tension in his muscles. "Come on," she said in a whisper, breaking apart from him. "If we finish early, you might even have some energy left over for the night."

"For you, Gabby, anything," Kenneth answered, and took her hand.

**Author's Note:**

> So apparently Gabby/Ken were supposed to get together and didn't in my playthroughs. I had to youtube the clips, but Shepard helping the two of them get it together is completely canonical. This was fun to write, and hope everyone had a good new year!


End file.
